Houston, we have a problem: Astronaut Jim Lovell died

NASA’s famous astronaut, Jim Lovell, who led the almost disastrous mission Apollo 13-who was forced to abandon the attempted reunion in 1970-died on Thursday at the age of 97.

The astronaut died Jim Lovell, Commander of NASA’s Apollo 13 mission, which made the phrase “Houston, we have the problem” famous.

Lovell’s family has called for privacy, but stated that it was “sad to announce the death of our dear father, US Navy Captain Jim Lovell, a rider and the Navy Officer, Astronaut, Leader and Explorer of space ”.

According to one from NASA, Lovell died on August 7 in Lake Forest, Illinois. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

“NASA presents its condolences to the family of Captain Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people Over the decades, ”says the US space agency statement.

“O character and unshakable courage of Jim helped our nation reach the moon and transformed potential tragedy into a success of which we learn immensely. We regret your departure, even as we celebrate your achievements, ”adds the note.

“From a pair of pioneering gemini missions Even the successes of the Apollo program, Jim helped our country outline a historic path in space, which now leads us to future Artemis missions to the moon and beyond, ”adds NASA’s statement.

“As a pilot of the command module at Apollo 8, Jim and his crew colleagues were the First to take off in a Saturn V rocket and orbiting the moonproving that the reaching was within reach, ”says the space agency.

“As Commander of the Apollo Mission 13its quiet force under pressure helped bring the crew safely back to Earth, demonstrating the speed of reasoning and innovation capacity that influenced future missions of NASA ”, emphasizes the note.

On April 11, 1970, NASA launched the Apollo 13 mission, which would be the 3rd manned mission to the moon. But two days after the launch, the ship faced an emergency situation that put the crew’s lives at risk – Commander Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert e Fred Haise – And the whole mission.

During the trip, there was an explosion in the service module, severely damaging the ship’s life and communication support systems. This is where Jack Swigert will have said to the NASA Mission Control Center to the phrase “Houston, we have a problem”.

The expression has become famous, but it is slightly wrong. Swigert’s true phrase was actually “Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here”.

Astronauts never even treading lunar solobut they managed to overcome the technical problems that the ship faced, and return to Earth.

Known for its sense of humor, the unforgettable astronaut won the nickname SMilin ‘Jim with their colleagues – because he is always ready to smile when he had a particularly witty answer.

“Jim also served her country in the Armed Forces, and the Navy lost a proud graduate of the Naval Academy and test pilot. Personified the courageous determination and optimism of past and future explorers, and we will recall it forever,” says NASA’s NASA.